Monster Sanctuary is a fantastic new game on consoles and PC. This game has it all monsters to raise and a platforming world to explore. Players will run around battling monsters, equipping them with gear, and working to become the best they can be. This game might seem simple at first, but it becomes more intense as the game progresses. With so many monsters to catch and a platforming world to traverse Monster Sanctuary will provide for any who picks it up.
At the beginning of the game, players will pick a starter monster. The starter is one of four beasts, either a Red Lion, a Blue Wolf, A Yellow Bird, or a Green Toad. This monster acts as the player’s companion and can even speak to them. These monsters each pair off with another character, and the player has no way to catch them later, so choose wisely. This decision happens right at the beginning of the game, so there’s no turning back. This game is first and foremost a monster raising game. Players will catch upwards of one hundred monsters and raise them. Feed them to up their stats and battle to level them up. Some of them even evolve, but the game won’t spell that out for you. It slowly but surely lets the player into this part of raising the monsters, and the player will still have to work to figure it out.
Players will need to level up their monsters and upgrade their skill trees. It might take a while to max out the trees as the leveling does take some time. The skill trees can change how strong a monster is by giving them new moves and upping their stats. Players will consistently find new monsters whose skill trees the player will need to fill. There is much work to be done, and filling out the trees feels good. The player will lead teams of six around a modestly large world; and battle monsters in three versus three battles. These battles might start easy, but if the player isn’t leveling enough or raising their monsters right, they might not be easy for long. It’s great watching the monsters grow and flourish, and this game shows the player they need to work a little harder.
The other component of this game is the platforming. The main character will jump around, dodging monsters if they don’t want to fight, and exploring a lovely world. There is a bit of a shovel knight vibe to this game, and it works wonders surprisingly with a monster raising game. Players will feel like they are going on a magical journey finding monsters and platforming. I’m not a big fan of platformers, but combine that with a monster raising game, and I’m in. Being a Metroidvania-style game: this game will keep the player on their toes. Monster Sanctuary might not have fall damage, but sometimes the platforming was a touch tricky.
Again I’m not the greatest at platformers but; some of the platforming was harder than I expected. It’s great to see they balanced the platforming and monster battling so well. I must applaud the team for taking a risk and combining these two ideas. Players will run around a rather vast grid-based world with tall mountains and deep caverns to explore. They will unlock new items that will give them different abilities to explore the land. With a myriad of quests to complete, the player should find themselves enjoying this magical world. There is always something to do, and that’s a good thing. Players can also take their maxed out monsters into the arena. They can battle teams in the game, and they can battle people online. This game suddenly becomes all the more serious, with an online arena, where players can battle for true power as they take on anyone who may be playing this game. It’s interesting to see a monster game like this with online capabilities, and I was not up for that challenge.
Monster Sanctuary is a fantastic game and one that people are sure to pass over. It looks like a standard game from afar, but with its platforming and three on three monster battles, it is one not to miss. This game is different, and I appreciate all the heart that went into making it. The platforming is just hard enough that completing a platforming section to find a new monster is a good reward. There is a world of monsters and platforming out there; will the player choose a monster, and head out?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided